He’ll Do To Ride The River Do we spend enough time thinking about our own reputation? That includes how others perceive us to be. It seems to me we’re building a society that doesn’t give a hoot about public integrity, as long as we can get whatever we want. Many actors and sports personalities seem […]
Was Mountain Man Jim Bridger A Liar? I was raised on a ranch. I miss the early morning standing around the fire with the crew. We’d throw a few logs into an oil barrel. Then, we’d talk and visit some before going out to work. This included a few stretchers. Tall tales formed a kind of […]
What’s a Texas Cowboy Without Longhorns? Old cowboys would be surprised to see how the cow business has turned out. Back in the 1880s, Texas longhorn cattle appeared on their way out. The hard winters forced cattlemen to search for hardier steer breeds. Herefords and others replaced the longhorns. But after decades being considered an […]
Nine Pioneer Christmas Stories by Barbour Books Follow pioneer Christmas and romance adventures in untamed American lands. Settlers face their first Christmas in a new land with both trepidation and hope. Despite primitive lodgings, these characters learn that wherever the heart dwells, they can find a place to call home. Of special note, this is Shannon […]
Holy, Holy, Holy Is Our God The words that grabbed me most in Isaiah’s vision before God’s throne come in Isaiah 6:4, “And the foundations of the thresholds trembled.” In the presence of God, everything will tremble. That means the tabernacle, temple, and altar trembled. So did the hills and rocks and trees. Why were […]
Old West Romance and Mail Order Brides Countless stories have been told about bachelors in the Old West. We hear of mail order brides. It did happen fairly often. And with good reason. After the Civil War, few eligible men existed in the East for the surplus of women and widows. And the wild West had […]
Isaiah’s Turning Point Reaction We all have turning points in our lives. The older we get, the more we’re able to look back and identify them. When we’re in the midst of one though, we may not recognize we’ve entered a turning point. Summer 1952 two such turning points happened for me. First, I read […]
Our Two Alarm Marriage by Stephen Bly We were a two alarm clock couple. It took at least one love alarm to get us up and going every morning. Depending on the season of the year, my alarm would go off between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. I’d fumble in the dark to find the switch […]
You’ve Got Unique Kids I’m often asked, “How many children do you have?” And sometimes I reply, “I have one Russell, one Michael, and one Aaron.” It would be simpler to say, “I have three boys.” But that kind of statement lumps them into the same cookie cutter mold. And I’ve got unique kids. They’re […]
Teaching Manners & Common Courtesy A common courtesy minor event caught me by surprise. My 9-year-old son, Aaron, rushed through the door of our local Community Center ahead of me. One of our good friends called out as she exited carrying an arm-full of packages, “Please hold the door open.” To my chagrin, he yelled […]
Comments on the Blog